Katy works as a Counsellor with Individuals, Couples and Families and is a registered member of the BACP

Katy is an experienced relationship therapist.  She specialises in working with all kinds of relationships, whether that be romantic, familial or platonic. She can work with couples, non-monogamous and polyamorous partners, friends and family members. She also works with individuals, helping people to explore the different relationships in their life and crucially, the relationship they have with themselves.

Therapeutic approach
Katy’s way of working is integrative, but with a largely Systemic focus. This means that she explores the influences of family, community and wider society on our lives. Katy examines how the narratives we internalise and the roles we take on in life, affect our wellbeing and sense of self.

Celebrating diversity in all forms, being anti-racist and making counselling accessible are three guiding principles of Katy’s practice. She has done significant training in GRSD (Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity) and Neurodiversity but recognises that there is always more learning to be done.

Katy believes that the counselling room should feel like a safe space where we can be fully authentic and shed the various masks we wear in other settings. She believes this can lead to so much self-discovery and help us to become the people we truly want to be.

Some of the issues Katy has experience working with are:

– Anxiety
– Childhood trauma and abuse
– Communication difficulties
– Complex PTSD
– Depression
– Difficult family relationships
– Gender identity
– Infidelity
– OCD
– Recovery from past abusive relationships
– Sexual identity
– Suicidal feelings

*Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. Katy’s approach is to look at the whole person as opposed to narrowly focusing on the presenting issue which has brought them to therapy.

Katy’s background
Katy holds a Masters (distinction) in Contemporary Relationship Studies. She is a registered member of the BACP and is guided by their ethical framework. Alongside private practice, Katy has worked as a counsellor for Relate, Mind and within a GP setting.

Before moving to the North-East, Katy worked as a Counselling Lecturer at a Further Education College, teaching on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She has up-to-date knowledge of the latest academic developments and guidelines within the Counselling field.

Katy has also worked in several different mental health services. She has managed a Safe Haven crisis-support service, a community-based mental health support service and a supported living accommodation project for people discharged from mental health inpatient settings.

Qualifications and Training

Masters Degree (Distinction) in Contemporary Relationship Studies – University of Hull

ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training – LivingWorks

Current Thinking in Gender Sexuality and Relationship Diversity – CPD  led by Silva Neves

Consent – CPD by Cate Campbell

Fourfold Vision: A Model for Living and Relating by – CPD led by Systemic Therapist, Hugh Palmer

Therapy and Social Change Summit – CPD featuring a number of experts including Mick Cooper, Dr Dwight Turner and many more

Foundations of Counselling course – Sheffield Psychotherapy and Counselling Education